Ask Home Inspection

Warren, OH Home Inspector

About Ask Home Inspection

Whether you are buying or selling a home you should always incorporate the services of a home inspector that is certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). That is why I have worked hard to become a member of InterNACHI and I promise to provide you with excellent service. As an InterNACHI member I:

Pass InterNACHI’s Online Inspector Examination every year. This general, not association-specific exam is an industry standard required by InterNACHI and some state licensing boards,

Adhere to the industry’s largest, most comprehensive Standards of Practice,

Abide by InterNACHI’s Code of Ethics,

Follow a strict continuing education policy that requires, among other things, that I receive 24 hours of continuing education each year,

Have completed InterNACHI’s ethics "obstacle course" which ensures that I am aware of my ethical duties as a home inspector,

Have passed InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice quiz,

Have signed and submitted an affidavit legally agreeing that I have and will continue to adhere to all InterNACHI standards, ethics and education requirements,

Attend at least one chapter meeting or educational seminar every two years (reasonable exceptions apply),

Complete at least one very advanced inspection course every 2 years, and

Have access to a number of learning tools such as inspection tips and technique illustrations, a library of home inspection books and videos, the industry’s largest message board, InterNACHI’s "what’s new" publication of recent inspection news, and the InterNACHI University.

If you need a home inspection performed, don’t settle for anything less than a InterNACHI-certified home inspector.
Contact me now to schedule your inspection.

A Full Inspection Includes:

As a InterNACHI member I must adhere to InterNACHI's Standards of Practice. This means I will attempt to
inspect all of the following (when accessible):

My Promise to You

Choosing the right home inspector can be difficult. Unlike most professionals, you probably will not get
to meet me until after you hire me. Furthermore, different inspectors have varying qualifications,
equipment, experience, reporting methods and yes, different pricing. One thing for sure is that
a home inspection requires work, a lot of work. Ultimately a thorough inspection depends heavily
on the individual inspector's own effort. If you honor me by permitting me to inspect your
new home, I guarantee that I will give you my very best effort. This I promise you.

What Really Matters

Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?

Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:

Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.

Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.

Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.

Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).

Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure or nit-picky items.

Pre-Listing Inspections

Eventually your buyers are going to conduct an inspection. You may as well know what they are going to find by getting there first. Having an inspection performed ahead of time helps in many other ways:

The seller can choose a certified InterNACHI inspector rather than be at the mercy of the buyer's choice of inspector.

The seller can schedule the inspections at the seller's convenience.

It might alert the seller of any items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation.

The seller can assist the inspector during the inspection, something normally not done during a buyer's inspection.

The seller can have the inspector correct any misstatements in the inspection report before it is generated.

The report can help the seller realistically price the home if problems exist.

The report can help the seller substantiate a higher asking price if problems don't exist or have been corrected.

A seller inspection reveals problems ahead of time which:

might make the home show better.

gives the seller time to make repairs and shop for competitive contractors.

permits the seller to attach repair estimates or paid invoices to the inspection report.